“Battle of the Brothers” ushers Big Match season
The big match fever for 2017 will usher with traditional rivals Thurstan and Isipathana clashing in their two day 54th “Battle of The Brothers” encounter which is looked forward to by the past and present boys of the two schools due to be played on February 24 and 25 at the SSC ground starting from 9.30 a.m. on each day.
Thurstan leads the series with five wins as against four to Isipathana with the rest ending in draws. There has been no outright results has been recorded by either side since 1999 which was won by the Isipathanians under Krishantha Jayawardena.
For Thurstan’s last win came way back in 1992 under Mackenzie Perera. No doubt both the teams will go all out to put their best foot forward to break the 17-year-old hoodoo.
Thurstan led by fourth year colours-man Kasun Abeyratne have played 14 matches securing seven outright wins against Dharmapala, Bandaranayake MMV, De Mazenod, Prince of Wales, St Joseph Vaz Wennappuwa, Nalanda and Maliyadeva.
They have two centurions in their side in last year skipper Charana Nanayakkara who is their top scorer of the season having scored over 650 runs which also includes five half tons and Prageesha Mendis.
Sawan Prabash who has made over 500 runs will be another batsman to keep an eye on and they possess players in the caliber of Nimesh Lakshan, Imesh Viranga and Yeshan Wickramaarachchi and are capable of making good contributions.
The Thurstan bowling will revolve around left arm spinner Naveen Gunawardena who had the honour of taking all ten wickets in an innings which he achieved against DSS and then had a nine wicket haul against Maliyadeva.
The other bowlers who should make their contributions to restrict their opponents for a low score are Charana, Sadaru Dias, Thushal Madusanka and Sawan Prabash.
Isipathana is led by fourth year colours-man Sanjula Abeywickrama. The Havelock Park club played 12 matches — recording two outright wins against President’s Kotte and Sri Sumangala Panadura and securing five first inning wins against St. Benedict’s, Lumbini MV, Vidyartha, Wesley and Trinity while conceding first inning wins to Ananda, St Peter’s and Royal and losing one outright to Mahanama.
The cynosure of all eyes in the Isipathana camp will be Pathum Nissanka who was the first player to make a double ton this season when he made an unbeaten 205 against President’s Kotte and later he cracked three tons against Sri Sumangala, St Benedict’s and Prince of Wales to accumulate 913 runs from 14 innings.
They have two more centurions in the side in skipper Sanjula and Ayana Siriwardena who both have scored over 550 runs this season. But Sanjula who had a successful season last year has not been able to make much impression.
The duo along with Heshan Fernando and Kalana Perera the other two recognized batsmen of the side will be expected to make useful contributions for the side to make a challenging score.
Left arm spinner Lahiru Dilshan who has been their top bowler for the last two seasons will spearhead the bowling attack and in fact it’s spinners that has done the job for Isipathana this season.
The left and right arm spin combination of Madushka Sandaruwan and deputy skipper Ayana Siriwardena, Heshan Fernando along with right arm spinner Sanjula Bandara and right arm pacie Neranjan Wanniarachchi will have the responsibility of curtailing the Thurstan batting.
But the need of the hour is to break the hoodoo and the two teams know that a win is needed for which positive cricket should be played if they are to achieve that. So let us hope that the approach of the two teams will be based on a result oriented game.
The two sides share the records of the big match with Isipathana’s debutant Saman Nishantha holding the best individual score of 150 n.o. made in 2002 and the best bowling figures is by Thurstan’s Jayajeewa Karunaratne who took 7 for 28 in 1992 in their last win. The highest score of the series is 331 for 9 declared made by Thurstan in 2012 and the lowest of 56 by Isipathana way back in 1968.
Isipathana
Seated from left: Kelum Ratnaweera (Asst. Coach), Waruna Senanayake (MIC), Kalana Perera, Ayana Siriwardana (VC), Premasiri Epa (Principal), Sanjula Abewickrama (Capt.), Heshan Danushka, Sanath Illeperuma (POG), Dilip Prasanna (Head Coach) Standing from left: Manthri Athukorala, Lisura Veenath, Leshan Amarasinghe, Manisha Rupasinghe, Dinath Dissanayake, Sanjula Bandara, Lahiru Dilshan, Neranjan Wanniarachchi, Sakuntha Ranaweera, Harsha Rathnayake, Pathum Nissanka, Madhushika Sandaruwan
Thurstan
Seated from left: Naveen Gunawardana, Saman Hewavitharana (Coaching Advisor), Charana Nanayakkara, Kasun Aberathna (Capt.), E.M.S. Ekanayake (Principal), Nipun Lakshan (VC), Lesley Harischandra (Asst. Principal - All Sports), Suneth Gunathilake (Coach), Imesh Viranga Middle row from left: Sandaru Dias, Naved Samarakoon, Sawan Prabash, Jayavihan Mahavitharana, Akila Ranathunga, Yeshan Wickramarachchi, Thisara Deshan, Prageesha Mendis, Nimesh Lakshan Top row from left: Thusal Madusanka, Bimara Ranathunfa, Pansilu Deshan, Ayesh Harshana, Janushke Fernando, Pramesh Dilushana